shadowkat: (Tv shows)
[personal profile] shadowkat
1.Olympics NBC? You screwed up in your broadcast of the Olympic Games, when you aired an inane Ryan Seacrest interview of Michael Phelps instead of this moving portrait:

http://deadspin.com/5929778/heres-the-opening-ceremony-tribute-to-terrorism-victims-nbc-doesnt-want-you-to-see

So much for the American Broadcast Media's claims of a free and independent press. The internet has become more reliable than you are, that, is why I no longer watch news on tv.
Outside of maybe NY1. Too unreliable.

Furious about this. That number was absolutely stunning and beautiful. Possibly amongst the best of the Olympic Opening Ceremonies. And most Americans never saw it. I'll never forgive NBC for this oversight. Makes me wonder how much of their broadcast of sports and other coverage is reliable.

I'm not happy with NBC's coverage of the Olympics this year. Lots of inane interviews.
And too many commercials. Plus the commentators are grating.

That said? It does make me miss Britain, particularly London. I apparently need to find a way of visiting again in the not to distant future. Last time I was there was in the 1980s, which was over 20 years ago. Needless to say I think both have changed a great deal since then, at the very least, I have. Maybe I'll go to Europe when I get vacation time and money saved instead of Costa Rica? I don't know. Don't have the time yet, at any rate.

2. Finished Duke of Shadows by Meredith Duran - one of the better written of the romance novels that I've read. But does follow the trope fairly closely. Did like the examination of racism, the historical detail on the Indian army uprising against the British in the 1800s (the British paid big time for their insane imperialistic and militaristic tendencies of the 1400s - 1800s - there's a historical lesson in that which I'm not sure the US and other countries have figured out yet.), and gender politics. The examination of gender inequalities during the 1800s is well done if a bit preachy in places. Also the examination of what art is - was intriguing.

Beginning to get burned out on this genre, so may have to jump back to Feast of Crows or read something else. Don't quite have the mental energy for non-fiction yet. Or literary.
Although am tempted to try Elizabeth Gatskill - whom I've admittedly never read or Thackery, who I also have not read. Have two books by Thackery on my Kindle saved along with Dickens Bleak House. Truth is I want pulpy page turners right now that aren't that violent, somewhat fluffy and I can easily forget after I finish them but capture my attention while I'm reading. And require little to no mental energy.

3. EW has a list of the 25 Greatest Cult TV Shows - which I don't agree with. We admittedly have different definitions of cult tv. They are going by "popular tv" shows or shows with heavy fandoms and complex worlds. I go by under-the-wire shows that most people haven't heard of. And never get awards. With heavy fandoms and complex worlds.

Here's their list, I've bolded the ones that I've seen. And stricken out the ones that I don't think belong on this list because they don't fit my definition of cult which is admittedly narrower than EW's. Not that I'm an expert on cult or anything, far from it, but since when do you have to be an expert to create a list? (Don't answer that.) Also EW's list is regrettably a bit too American for its own good.

[ETA: This is the Print Edition List not the online edition list which for reasons that escape me are completely different. I actually agree more with the online edition list, although it too has some odd choices. X-Files is too popular to be cult. And I'm not sure The Comeback deserves to be there over Bab 5. ]

* Bold what you have seen.
* Strike out the shows that don't belong on the list. (explain why - ie for me they don't fit my definition of cult.) (My criteria for cult? Intense fandom, creative world, under the wire or not recognized by mainstream media very often or doesn't get emmys or awards. The show you tell people about and they have no idea what you are talking about.)
* Substitute a TV show for everyone that you removed.

1. Buffy the Vampire Series
2. Arrested Development
3. Mystery Science Theater 3000
4. The X-Files - Replaced with Doctor Who. X-Files is a mainstream American Sci-Fi series that got Emmy's and everyone watched.
5. The Wire
6. It's Always Sunny in Philadephia (eh, I've seen a few episodes but not enough for bold)
7. Star Trek the Next Generation - too popular, too known, too many movies, and nominated for emmy's, not cult any more than Star Wars is. Deep Space Nine
8. The Comeback
9. My So-Called Life
10. Lost - see X-Files and STNG. Babylon 5
11. Firefly
12.Twin Peaks
13. Veronica Mars
14. Battlestar Galatica
15. Community - not sure if this fits, it got nominated and mainstream knows it exists. Be a bit like nominating the Office or Big Bang Theory. No, I'd replace with Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - a British Series that aired on PBS in the 70s and 80s. or maybe Red Dwarf - another British Series. [ Been persuaded that it fits by the avid Community fans on flist.]
16. Undeclared [ETA - oblivious to, so can't comment.]
17. Fringe
18. Wonder Showzen (never heard of)
19. Supernatural
20. Popular
21. Party Down (see Undeclared)
22. Farscape - I'd put this higher than Firefly, but what do I know.
23. Better off Ted - makes more sense than Community. (See Community)
24. Archer
25. Pushing Daisies

A lot of these are too young for me. I'd put Profit and Vampire Diaries on the list. As well as Star Gate and Smallville - which had sizable cult fandoms. Also, Angel is missing.
As is, Forever Knight - which is amongst the best vampire cult series out there. Then there is Louis, and The Walking Dead (although I'm not sure that's really cult either).
Dollhouse is definitely cult. Although not deserving a space on the list, admittedly.
What else...there are so many and I'm tired. I know American Gothic. But it's a one season wonder, so maybe not. I'd also substitute a few British series in here such as Misfits - which is actually more cult than Smallville. The Canadian series - Being Erica, better than The Comeback. And maybe Little Britain or Ballykissangel - which my parents got hooked on. Another one missing is The Monkees - although that may have been too popular?
Not sure.

What do you think?

Date: 2012-07-30 05:48 am (UTC)
liliaeth: (Default)
From: [personal profile] liliaeth
Well I personally wouldn't put Firefly on the list at all, well maybe at the last place. But then I thought the show sucked and the actors were so boring I had trouble remembering their characters name. There was just nothing interesting about it at all. Even 'the Cape' was better than Firefly.

I personally would have much rather seen Terminator: the Sarah Connor Chronicles in the list, which was pretty much awesome television, and which really did deserve a third season.
Edited Date: 2012-07-30 05:50 am (UTC)

Date: 2012-07-30 02:06 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] shipperx.livejournal.com
I agree with you about Firefly. I can see its inclusion based on it having a cult. But it was short short-lived as to never have developed all that much. But, personally, I always come down on thinking thatthe world-building was terrible and I never "got" what was supposed to be particularly good about the series... and I'll watch almost anything genre. It wouldn't even crack my top 50 of sci-fi/genre shows.

Date: 2012-07-30 03:39 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] sophist.livejournal.com
I agree. Even if I thought Firefly was great (and I don't), there was only half a season. I can't see how half a season can compete with other entire series.

Date: 2012-07-30 09:17 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] shadowkat67.livejournal.com
Objectively, speaking...

If you define cult as a tv series that is below the wire (aka not popular with traditional or mainstream or mass viewers), has a voracious fandom which has managed to make the series last long past its expiration date, and has a complex mythology/language/etc.

Then yes, it fits.

* Firefly not only lives on in reruns (it's all over cable, been on Syfy, Science Channel, BBCAmerica, amongst others), but it also had heavy DVD sales, and a major motion picture made as closure.
* Voracious fandom - the reason it lives on in reruns, and had a major motion picture made not to mention various comic books.
* Complex mythology...yep, so complex a lot of people couldn't follow it. (LOL!) Although this isn't as necessary as the first two requirements.

It made it to the top of the list for those reasons. Whether you liked it or not, irrelevant. The cancellation - actually aids in its cult status.

Note cult does NOT equal popular culture.

Date: 2012-07-30 11:36 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] sophist.livejournal.com
I agree it's cult. I'm just skeptical of why it gets rated so high. But I'm not exactly unbiased on that score.

Date: 2012-07-31 12:51 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] shadowkat67.livejournal.com
Yeah, well, I'm ambivalent to be honest. I liked Firefly more than you did, but wouldn't call myself a fan of it.

(basically my Whedon likes are: Buffy, Firefly, Angel, Dollhouse, the movies, X-men comics, sugar shock...)

But my flist? Half the Whedon fans love love love Firefly, half hate hate hate Firefly. So, I don't discuss it much.

Does have a voracious fandom though - rivals the Trekkies, actually.
Not everyone loves Trek either.

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